Half to william g



(N0 Model.) 2' Sheets- Sheet 1.

W. J. FERGUSON. VACUUM REFRIGERATING MACHINE.

No. 544,273. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

WITNESSES INVENTDR (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. J. FERGUSON. VACUUM REPRIGERATING MACHINE.

Pate nt'ed Aug. 6, 1895.

lnll I IIVII bllllll I I I llrlllV WITNEEEEE INVEN'TDR I Q AQQNMMVQMH-"MMM ATTEIRNEY NITEI) STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. FERGUSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR or oNE- HALF TOWILLIAM G. 1-1. STUMP, 0E SAME PLACE.

VACUUM REFRlGERATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544 273, dated August6, 1895.

Application filed January 7, 1895. Serial No. 534,104. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus, and has for itsobject to provide a machine ofthe vacuum class,havingimprovedconstruction for such purposes as making ice and cooling liquids.

An apparatus illustrating my'invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- I Figure 1 is an elevation showinga sectional viewof the apparatus. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the upper cylinder,taken on the line of the rock-shaft. Fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale,a section of the piston of one of the suction-pumps.

The letters A A designate two cylinders, each having a flange c, whichare secured together with a perforated or wire-screen diaphragm dbetween the two. A bottom head E and a top head E close the cylindersand form a vacuum-chamber divided into upper and lower compartments B Bby the screendiaphragm.

In the lower part of the chamber is a standard F, which supports anumber of pans g for sulphuric acid. These pans are one above the otherand are graduated in size, the largest being at the bottom and each oneabove being smaller than the one next below. A supplypipe h on theoutside passes through the upper cylinder and then down on the inside,and its end it is in position above the smallest or uppermost pan g.This pipe supplies the sulphuric acid to the pans. When the acid fillsthe topmost pan itoverflows into the pan next one below, and when thisone is full the acid overflows, and in this manner all the pans aresupplied. A cock 1' in the supply-pipe serves to open or close the pipe.

In the upper part of the chamber B are two exhaust-pumps J J. Each pumphas a piston 70 provided with an upwardly-opening valve 1 and across-bar m, to which the pistonred a is rigidly secured. The rod has atits end a head 'n, and asmoothneek 11 on which the valve 6 is free toslide when it opens and closes. The head 'n retains the valve fromsliding-0E the neck. The lower end of the cylinder of each pump is open,as at m, while the upper end has a check-valve Z, which opens totheatmosphere on the up movement of the piston and closes automaticallyon the down movement of said piston.

A rock-shaft O is mounted in the chamber B and extends diametrically,and one end passes through the wall or shell of the cylinder to theoutside, and on the outer projecting end isa lever or crank arm 19. Theshaft passes through a stufflng-box q. Surrounding the shaft 0 ontheinner side of the cylinder is a flexible sleeve 0", one end of whichis tightly clamped around the shaft by means of a collar .9, while theother end, which has a flange r, is fitted tightly against the innersurface of the cylinder and secured by bolts t. This sleeve may be madeof rubber or some other flexible impervious material. This flexiblesleeve allows the rock-shaft 0 to have the requisite rocking movement,while at the same time insuring a perfectly-tight joint between theshaft and wall of the chamber.

The rook-shaft carries a lever U, one end of which is jointed to theconnecting-rod n attached to the piston-rod n of one pump, and the otherend to the other connecting-rod n attached to the piston-rod n of theother pump. By grasping the lever or crank armp a person can giveoscillatory motion to the rock-shaft and thus work both exhaust pumps JJ.

The refrigerating-receptacle has connection with the vacuum-chamber Bbymeans of a pipe. In the present instance two refrigerating-receptaclesV V are shown, each connected to the cylinder A by a pipe '0 12, eachpipe having a cook '0 One of the receptacles V is tapered and its largeopen end to is closed by a head w, to which the pipe '0 is attached. Thereceptacle may be readily attached and detached from the head by anywell-known fastening. The other receptacle V contains a coiled pipe 00,provided at its lower end with a draw-off cock y on the outside. Theupper end of this coil projects outside, and may be attached to abeer-supply, a water-supply, or any other liquid supply.

The operation is as follows: The pans g having been filled with suitableacid, the receptacles V V supplied with water, and the cooks r beingopen, the exhaust-pumps are set to work to first exhaust air from andcreate a vacuum in the chamber B B. Owing to this vacuum in the chamber,the water in the freezing-receptacles V V is relieved of the pressure ofair and rapidly gives ofi vapor, which passes into the vacuum-chamber.The acid in the pans g then absorbs the water-vapor in the chamberrapidly, thereby further relieving the pressure on the water in the tworefrigeratingreceptacles and causing further rapid volatilization of thesame. This operation continues until the'water is so chilled by constantcarrying off of heat by vaporization that it is frozen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a refrigerating machine, the combiuation of a vacuum chamberprovided with an exhaust pump at its upper part; acid pansin itslowerpart; a screen diaphragm separating the upper andlower parts; and apipe to supply acid to said pans.

2. In a refrigerating machine, the combination of a vacuum chamberprovided with an exhaust pump at its upper part; a stand in the lowerpart supporting a series of acid pans of graduated sizes the largestbeing at the bottom and the smallest at the top; and a pipe whichsupplies acid to the uppermost pan.

8. In a refrigerating machine, the combination of a vacuum chamber; acidpans in the chamber; two exhaust pumps in the upper part of the chambereach having a check valve, Z, opening to the atmosphere; and arock-shaft, 0, provided with a lever, U, which connects with the pistonsof both pumps.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

C. CALVERT HINES, CHARLES B. MANN, Jr.

